BY BIRGITTA ISACSSON
STOCKHOLM - About 1,000 demonstrators, most of them young, gathered here in the snow and sleet November 30 to protest police violence, racism, and police protection of ultrarightists. The rally also called for solidarity between Swedes and immigrants and for the right to asylum.

November 30 is the day when the Nazis, skinheads, and other ultrarightist forces celebrate King Karl XII, who ruled Sweden between 1697 and 1718 and died in battle in Norway. During his rule an estimated 200,000 Swedish soldiers were killed in wars that extended Swedish rule to all of Scandinavia, northern Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states. This time is known in Swedish history as the "great power period."

The demonstration was bigger than similar ones in recent years, and was an answer to the police violence shown November 8 when the cops protected racist demonstrators and assaulted counterprotesters

Among the speakers was a young woman who urged demonstrators to protest the skinheads' use of a hall that is financed by public means and run by the labor movement, with police protection. The night before, the network Nordland sponsored a rock concert at a restaurant in the center of Stockholm. The network publishes a "white power" newspaper titled Nordland, in addition to recording and organizing concerts for racist music groups. The privately-run restaurant, where the November 29 concert took place, is located in the ABF-house, a workers education house owned and run by the labor movement

According to the janitor, workers at the restaurant did not know beforehand that it was skinheads who had rented it for the evening. He called the police when 200 racists turned up, but the police allowed the event to proceed.

The Gay-house, which had its windows smashed by skinheads at night on November 8, sits 200 yards from the ABF-house.

Birgitta Isacsson is a member of the Metalworkers union.  
 
 
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